A Rising Storm
by RegalCarnage19
Summary: In a world consumed by war, fate can be a fickle and cruel mistress... but sometimes even fate can throw a bone to those in need. A chance discovery might the key to ending the threat to humanity once and for all and bringing lasting peace to a world exhausted by never-ending conflict.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but with that said I hope you enjoy the chapter anyway!**

**Yes yes, I know another story I am aware I have committed crimes against Skyrim and her people but this idea wouldn't leave so I'm just going to have to entertain it for a little bit so just bear with me until it gets out of my system. It's a different take on my other story Blurring The Lines where I decide to see what I could do without having to follow the guidelines I got in the request for that story. This doesn't mean anything is happing to BTL, at worst this will be a bit of a test or something not entirely sure.**

**Either way, I hope you can still enjoy it and if so let me know (or don't I'm not your dad)**

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...

"Commander! Akashi has come to speak with you about new developments, nya!~"

Aiko Watanabe looked up from her work as the head of their research division, as well as the biggest drain on her wallet, entered her office in a rush nearly tripping over herself in her haste as she made her way over to the desk. Her cat-like eyes were open wide and her ears twitched maniacally as if she'd just downed at least four cups of coffee in the last hour alone.

Or more than likely she'd gone through at least five bottles of oxy-cola in one sitting. It wasn't all that uncommon but the sugar rush hit fast and it hit hard.

"Hello to you too Akashi," She greeted barely looking up from her work to address the huffing girl who seemed a breath away from falling over. "What's got you so worked up, hm? You didn't get caught scamming people again did you?" She chided disinterestedly knowing that sometimes Akashi could get a bit lost on her path to hoarding riches, leading her to sell things that weren't exactly worth what she charged for them.

The shopkeeper also had a no-refund policy in place that often meant she went unpunished for her actions unless they got really out of hand or you were scary enough to frighten her into submission and get a refund, but that was pretty rare.

"No, and Akashi is insulted that you believe she would do something like that! Nya~" The repair ship stuck her tongue out at her before seemingly remembering why she was here in the first place, snapping back to attention. "That is not the point, nya! I came to tell you something big has just happened!"

Something big?

"Well go on then, you've got my attention and anything that distracts from all this damn paperwork can't be that bad…" She grumbled putting her pen down and turning her attention away from the stacks of never endings forms and requests she needed to fill out daily. She knew it was an honor to have been chosen to lead an organization of such importance but the amount of paperwork that came with it was ridiculous.

Sometimes she regretted putting in that application but there was nothing to be done about it now. She couldn't just resign and even as much as she hated it there were upsides to the job as well as her own personal goals.

"You are familiar with our work on bringing back unfinished and unrealized kansen correct, nya?"

"Yes Akashi, given that we have broken our backs to bring quite a few of them into our forces I do think that I am familiar with the system at this point." She deadpanned wondering why the merchant had to make everything so dramatic… probably something she picked up as a marketing tactic or something. "Has something changed?" She inquired wondering if there was some complication with their process.

"Yes! Well, no but also yes!" Akashi tripped over her words as she struggled to explain why she'd marched all the way from her lab just for this. "The system itself has not changed but while Yuubari-chan and I were digging through the data recovered during our last confrontation with the Sirens we stumbled upon a new set of blueprints, schematics for a previously unknown ship!" She exclaimed and Aiko's eyes widened slightly at the news.

Now that definitely caught her attention, anything they could glean from the Sirens was useful… but the discovery also posed a worrying question in her mind.

"Are you saying that the Sirens are trying to create new ships?" She inquired her tone shifting as she took on her role as a leader to assess a potential rising threat. The Sirens were already a force that for the moment outmatched them even without the benefit of the resources they had to expend fighting off the Crimson Axis... the idea that they may be preparing to add to their already formidable strength was cause for alarm.

Akashi, however, seemed to be less worried about such an outcome.

"We do not think so, nya~" Akashi said and pulled out a large folded up piece of paper that she had somehow managed to hide within her sleeves and held it out for her to take. "Judging by the information we managed to glean from the pieces of data we recovered there doesn't appear to be any plans related to producing new ship designs." She waved her sleeves in reassurance "Given how deeply this was buried away we think this may actually be the blueprint for a ship that comes from beyond our time, possibly even from where the Sirens may have originated from!"

A kansen from the future? The idea alone would have been tough to swallow had it not been for the fact that the Sirens clearly possessed technology and abilities that had no business existing in their current era. Given the data had been retrieved from the one known as Tester, it was entirely possible that they'd just managed to get their hands on something the Sirens had intended to keep quiet…

If so then they were almost duty-bound to pursue it… Unless the Sirens had wanted them to find this? That was a possibility she couldn't rule out and if so that begged the question of why? Why supply them with a means to fight back when they seemed so bent on breaking them? It just didn't make sense… unfortunately for her not making any sense seemed to be a talent of theirs.

"Not to give my approval of this just yet… but if you _are _right and this does come from a time or place beyond us, would we even be able to build it?" She unfurled the paper and her eyes glanced over what appeared to be the design of what vaguely resembled a cruiser of some kind but she couldn't recognize half of the components that went into its creation. "I don't even recognize half of what's written here." She admitted.

Granted she wasn't intimately knowledgeable about all the fine details necessary to build a ship but she wasn't a novice by any means either. Whatever these schematics were, they were far from basic.

"No, there is no way we can build it, at least not how it's is built here, whatever these resources are they appear to be far beyond anything we have now…" Akashi sounded more a bit put off as she was forced to admit that there was something that even she couldn't make. "However! We think we might be able to replace a lot of the missing parts with ones of our own, it won't be perfect but with the advances we've made since beginning to research Siren technology it could come close, nya!"

Aiko paused to consider that angle, that could actually work and despite her money-grubbing ways Akashi would not have presented the idea if she didn't think it would pay off in the long run.

She had a good eye for risk assessment after all.

"I assume you've already got estimates on what we'll need for this project?" She asked sending a sidelong glance at her and in true form, Akashi smirked and pulled out a clipboard containing everything she would need for this task.

"Akashi knew the Commander would see the potential and so Akashi has indeed created a list of everything we will need in advance, nya~" She handed the paper over and Aiko immediately felt a migraine coming on as she surveyed the requirements, this was going to be unquestionably the most expensive and resource intensive project to date. She couldn't even go to the board for funds given that the PRs were considered personal projects and not necessary expenditures.

Of course, the board was also perfectly fine with benefiting from the extra firepower her "personal projects" brought to their side... the uppity pricks.

She supposed she'd have to bite the bullet then.

"I hope this is worth the trouble, I'll begin gathering what we need but keep in mind we are on a budget starting now so don't expect any patronage from me for a _long _time." She warned tuning out the sudden and distressing wails of her resident tech who just realized her best customer had essentially cut her off for the foreseeable future.

At least she wouldn't be the only one suffering but for now, she had some teams to assemble.

…

_**Several Months Later… **_

"We're almost ready Commander just some last minute preparations and all our hard work will pay off!" Yuubari shouted digging her fingers into the mess of wires and circuits that were sprawled around them while Akashi ran from computer to computer going over calculations with such intensity that she was surprised her eyes hadn't popped out of her skull yet.

"Let's hope so, we've put far too much into the project to walk away empty-handed." She grunted doing her own part to help with the preparations by hauling around the larger cables and connecting them as needed. She may have been forced to sit behind a desk most of the time but that didn't mean she wasn't physically active and she wasn't about to let them do all the work while she just stood around looking pretty. She'd even forgone wearing her usual white suit in favor of a more comfortable pair of loose-fitting sweat pants and a light grey tee-shirt that kept her from overheating as she handled the physical labor. Her short hair also had the benefit of not getting caught on everything which made it easier.

She could have ordered one of her girls to do it but that just wasn't the kind of person she was and her subordinates often joked that if she wasn't a human she would almost definitely have been born a kansen. She wasn't so sure she would have minded such a thing but alas there was only so much raw determination and will could grant her and so she was stuck leading from the back most of the time.

Grunting as she snapped another electrical cable into place, she wiped the sweat off her brow and bounced over to where Akashi was peering over the girl's shoulder as worked on calibrating the machine used to manifest new kansen. Usually, it was a fairly easy process but when it came to PRs the whole thing got a lot more complicated so they needed to make sure everything was perfect.

"How's it going on this end Akashi?" She asked.

"Nya, I think we are clear to go, Commander! Everything looks good and the wisdom cubes have been loaded onto the platform, all that's left is to pull the lever and see the results!" She said quickly rushing to the podium to ensure everything was as it should be.

"Yuubari, are we set?!"

"All clear, it took a bit of work but I've managed to reroute enough power to maintain the output needed! I just hope San Diago isn't too upset that I had to borrow some from her stage lights hehe…" Yuubari grinned nervously and off in the distance the trio heard what sounded like frantic wailing in the background.

Something about being numbah whan...

…

"She'll be fine, let's get this rolling!" Yuubari quickly made her way to one of the levers that would finalize months of hard work and promptly ignoring the deadpanned stares the duo were sending her way before they two began to move to their positions.

"Nya, on your signal Commander~" Akashi hurried to the second lever.

Aiko stared ahead at the large podium loaded with gently glowing cubes, Ten fragments of untapped potential sat just waiting to be used… This was the final step on the road to the newest chapter of their journey and she could only hope it would prove worth it in the end.

"Fire when ready!" She commanded and without wasting a second Yuubari and Akashi pulled their respective levers and the room instantly came to life with the sound of shifting gears and static. A large laser that was grafted to the sealing hummed as it began to draw in power arcs of electricity running across its metal chassis as it shifted position.

The lights dimmed as all available energy was drawn to a singular point, a single speck of blue light that shined brightly at the very tip of the device, the light nearly blinding the trio as they waited for what was to come next. The point of energy gleamed like a newborn star before suddenly shooting forward in a single thin beam of light that struck the waiting stack of cubes, causing them to glow brightly.

Hairline cracks began to appear along their surface and soon the room was alight in a rainbow of colors all melding into one before splitting once again the process repeating over and over again as each of the cubes began to vibrate violently while the cracks grew ever larger.

"Akashi!" She yelled trying to be heard over the loud whirring of the machine and the sounds of cracking glass that emanated from the podium. "What's happening?!"

This had never happened before!

"I don't know?! We did everything right, nya!" Akashi cried shielding her eyes when the light from the podium became too intense to look at, Yuubari and Aiko following suit as the lab flashed a brilliant white and the sound of shattering glass echoed loudly in their ears, almost deafeningly so.

And then, just as quickly as it began… it all stopped and silence reigned once more.

…

"Nya… is everyone okay?" Akashi lowered her sleeves and to her relief neither Yuubari or the Commander appeared hurt by the resulting experiment, both seeming a bit dazed by the events but otherwise unharmed.

"Other than the fact that I'll probably need glasses after that, I'm fine." Yuubari groaned pawing at her eyes in an attempt to wipe the fuzzy stars clouding her vision away. "More importantly did it work is what I want to know?

Aiko didn't bother affirming her safety instead making her way through the smoke towards where she knew the podium was to see just what had happened to the fruits of their labor. Anxiousness gripped her she waved away the slowly dissipating remains of what appeared to have been a hardware malfunction judging by the smell of burning smell that was assaulting her nostrils.

"Come on… let that have worked!"

Had she been paying attention she would have noticed one of the large cables along the floor had been blown loose by the rather violent reaction but in her frantic state, she didn't register its presence until she'd tripped over it a sharp yelp unconsciously passing her lips as she tumbled rapidly towards the ground. Her eyes closed instinctually as she braced for impact with the floor below, her arms reaching out to cushion her fall as she awaited the familiar sensation of pain that would accompany her descent.

But it never came, instead, she felt herself being caught by a pair of strong arms that quickly wrapped themselves around her, pulling her back up before she could have her impromptu date with the concrete. Large, but gentle hands helped guide her back onto her feet and a peal of deep rumbling laughter filled her ears as she slowly regained her senses, unconsciously leaning herself against whoever had caught her as she did so.

"Easy there Miss, are you alright?" A warm voice asked merrily but she could hear genuine concern within their words and their rather deep and very masculine voice made for a distinct departure from what she was used to.

…Wait, what?

Quickly opening her eyes, she was greeted to the sight of a pair of bright and kind blue eyes that gazed bemusedly back into her own amber-colored orbs the twin aquatic colored gems shining brightly even through the smoky haze. A wild yet sunny grin met her inquisitive expression witch such force that it threatened to split its wearer's face in two if got any wider than it was now. But none of that caught her attention as much as one very important detail that sent her mind reeling in shock.

A male kansen… her mind blanked as she combed through every meeting she'd ever had with the warship manifestations and she could not recall even a _single _passing mention of there ever being a male among them. Not a single book, article, journal, or even footnote sprang to mind on the phenomena that was currently standing before her in all of his impossible glory. For reasons that were unknown to them all kansen were female _without_ exception, it was just the reality of it there were just no male manifestations…

Until now.

"Um, hello? Anyone there?" His rumbling voice and quizzical expression forced her from her shock as she realized that she was still draped in his arms like some kind of damsel.

"E-Excuse me…" She quickly righted herself pulling out of his embrace to hurridly regain her composure. She was the Commander of Azur Lane she needed to get herself together, especially if he really was what she believed him to be. "Forgive my actions I was caught up in the moment and forgot my surroundings." She apologized but her gaze never left him, her curiosity proving far more interested in studying this anomaly than kowtowing to proper manners of all things.

He was tall she noted, quite a bit taller than herself probably standing at just under six feet if she had to guess which still easily put him well above most of the girls on base with maybe a few exceptions. He also possed some very distinct markings on his face, six thin but distinct lines adorning his face three on each cheek… they almost looked like whiskers if she was being honest, passively reminding her of a cat or perhaps a fox.

He had short-cropped blond hair but she could see that it had a bit of wildness to it judging how it spiked up towards the top as if it wanted to continue growing into some kind of mane but had been cut short for the sake of making it easier to manage. Moving her gaze from his face to the rest of his attire she found it was rather lax in nature compared to some of the more elaborate outfits she'd seen but it didn't look bad on him by any means.

A dark black zipped up jacket with buttoned sleeves and a red sash tied around his left bicep, the left sleeve was rolled up slightly while the right hung loosely down revealing that he kept his right arm wrapped in thick looking bandages. She couldn't help but wonder why? Moving down he wore a bright pair of orange pants with two strange-looking holsters attached to his hip and leg respectively and a pair of dark black open-toed sandals that stretched up to about is calf it seemed.

Overall he looked rather youthful and she hazarded a guess he that was in his late teens or early twenties at best. Granted age was a bit pointless when it came to certain kansen who looked nothing like their actual age, the diminutive form of one British Queen came to mind before she quickly banished the thought.

"Eh? That's way too formal!" His previously baffled look quickly gave way to a mischievous grin and without warning he easily stepped back into her space with a laugh pulling her once more against him, her chest pressing tightly against his own while their faces sat mere inches apart to the point where both could feel the breath of the other upon their lips.

Despite herself, she felt a sudden flush take her at his forwardness given that her position and general demeanor had never prompted such action from… well, anyone! She was the commander of an army with enough power to sink an island for goodness sake! Not that she would ever do that of course but the point remained the same.

That didn't seem to bother him in the slightest however and she could see the amusement on his face as she struggled to process the shift in dynamic, his chest once more rumbling with barely contained laughter as she leveled a furious glare at his snickering face.

It seemed they would have a new troublemaker on deck, she could already feel the headaches incoming...

"Enough of that," She huffed pushing her way out of his grip and getting herself under control she wasn't a little girl that was just going to let him do as he pleased after all. "Before you go having a laugh at my expense how about introducing yourself." She prompted phrasing it like a question but it was clearly a demand. "I am Aiko Watanabe, Commander of this base and head of Azur Lane." She declared standing to her full height reaching just up to the nape of his neck.

"Spoilsport... but we'll do it your way!" He grinned happily and stood up straight. "The names Naruto, the sole member of the Uzumaki-class Large Cruisers! I'll be in your care from now on Commander, I do hope you can handle having me around~" He finished, sending a cheeky smirk her way that almost assured that he was going to cause her problems in the future. Right now though, she was far more focused on what'd he'd just said and the implications of it.

"Uzumaki-class?" As expected, she had never heard of that class of ship before. It sounded like a name right out of the Sakura Empire even if appearance-wise he looked like he should belong in the Union, but if she was right that would make him part of the Crimson Axis… were the schematics perhaps gained from the future Sakura Empire? If so it was rather depressing to think even out into the future they'd still failed to convince the Japanese fleet to return to their side.

Then again the future wasn't written in stone so perhaps there was still time to change the course of events but she would keep that little tidbit in mind.

"Is there anything else you can tell me? Where you are from or when you were originally constructed?" She asked wondering if perhaps they could even some insight into what the future might hold, anything that could give them some direction.

At this Naruto's jovial expression grew rather subdued and a frustrated look appeared on his face. "I wish I could but I'm drawing blanks Commander…" He admitted uncomfortably for once displaying emotions outside of joviality. "There are pieces… voices and words but no faces or dates to attach them to. Like something is missing to link it all up. I'm sorry but I honestly couldn't tell you much." He explained sounding genuinely apologetic and annoyed that he could not answer her questions which banished her immediate thoughts that he was lying to cover up some truth he didn't want to reveal.

Either he was a grade-A actor or he was being honest and her gut told her it was the later.

Did the fractured memory have something to do with them building him too early perhaps? He wasn't a one to one recreation of his blueprints either having to make do with parts that they had access to instead of from his own time and some things had to be left out. Given that every other PR had been built with advancements instead of regressions she couldn't rule out that the blame for his fragmented memory could very likely fall upon them.

She would have to make due and pray that with time he would remember at least something of value but she wasn't holding out a lot of hope that the universe would be so kind as to just drop the answers into her lap.

"That's fine if you can remember anything just let me know." She asked and he nodded.

"Of course, you'll be the first to hear it." He promised quickly returning to previously his upbeat demeanor and she graced him with a trusting smile glad that they could at least agree to be open with one another. Thankfully it didn't seem like he was going to be uncooperative with which reassured her somewhat.

There was still time to be proven wrong though but they would cross that bridge if they needed too.

...

_**\- Commander's Office a few Hours Later -**_

It had taken some time to get the latest member of her fleet out of Akashi's sight at the repair ship had taken a very keen interest in running through a rigorous gauntlet of tests upon seeing him but at last, she'd managed to get them both out of the lab and into her office where she had begun filling him in on the current state of affairs.

"So both the Sakura Empire and the Iron Blood left Azur Lane to join the Sirens?" He asked trying to wrap his head around the info dump that had just been laid on him.

"Yes and no, despite our hopes to unite and push them back, both groups ended up splintering off and creating a new opposing faction but they are not overtly allied with the Sirens either." She clarified crossing her fingers as she leaned back into her chair. "They are also not the only members of this Crimson Axis, they have been joined by smaller groups as well such as the Sardegna Empire and Vichya Dominion, though the rationale for the latter group is in question and we have had a few deserters rejoin us which has proven helpful."

"What caused the split?" He questioned a small frown worming its way onto his face as he tried to understand why these groups would actively work against one another. "This couldn't have been an overnight decision."

"We aren't fully sure, the most obvious reason we are aware of is that there was a conflict in ideals in regards to how best to handle the Sirens. Many of us believed that through unity and bringing forth the strength of humanity we could persevere and push the Sirens back, these groups became the core factions of Azur Lane." She stated. "However, others believed that security could only be obtained by adopting the technology of the Sirens and incorporating it into ourselves."

"This rift in opinions and methodology eventually caused the split and since then we have been fighting both the Sirens and the Axis." She finished with a long sigh of resignation. She hated how things had turned out but there was little she could do, she had not been put in charge until after the split and by then it was too late, neither the Iron Blood nor the Sakura Empire appeared willing to rejoin them and their allies were either too stubborn or unstable to be reached out to.

So they had to keep fighting, keeping fighting and hope that they could convince the rest to return and unify once more.

"I see." He scowled as he learned more about the conflict. "What allies do we have?" He asked shifting the conversation to a topic a bit less sensitive and Aiko perked up a little at the change.

"Right now the two largest pillars of Azur Lane are the American Eagle Union and the British Royal Navy." She revealed. "These two groups have maintained their commitments to Azur Lane's goals and have been invaluable in securing the well being of those under our protection. As for others… well other than some slight rumblings of dissent from other groups we can not claim to have nearly as many allies as the Axis." She admitted sadly.

It was only the overwhelming naval power of the Royal Navy and the exceptional air superiority provided by the Union that allowed them to stand up to such overwhelming odds. If either of them withdrew for any reason… she dreaded to think of the consequences. Thankfully both factions appeared fully committed to maintaining the core values of humanity.

"It doesn't look like that's stopped you though." He praised lightly having gotten a glimpse of the base on their way here, it was a peaceful place without the malignant air of defeat or resignation wafting from it. "You don't strike me as the type to let something like unfavorable odds stand in your way." He grinned and she couldn't help but chuckle at his optimistic outlook on her even having only been in her presence for a few hours.

"I don't have much of a choice, the world is depending on us to deliver them the peace we once maintained I can't afford to quit when things don't go our way." She then leveled him with a hard look, one that belied the softness of her features, amber-eyes filled with the same fiery determination that had gotten her promoted to commander in the first place. "I dream that one day we will find peace and I will fight for it until my last breath, I will protect those I love and those who need to be protected."

That was her promise, not only to herself but to those under her and to those who knowingly or not relied upon her. She had joined the not out of obligation but out of a desire to make a change and here was the place she could do so.

For a moment, Naruto found himself stunned into silence by the conviction in her voice, the intensity of her gaze telling him that she wholeheartedly stood by her words and that there was nothing that would sway her from her course of action. She had the face of a leader, one that had fallen before but would rise up again and again until she found success. An odd nostalgic feeling bubbled in his chest and a bright smile made its way onto his face, a barking laugh escaping him that caught Aiko off guard at its suddenness.

Was he mocking her? Did such a jovial person perhaps possess a more nihilistic view of their struggles?

"When a person has something important they want to protect.. that's when they can become truly strong." He mused, the words falling out of his mouth before his mind could process them, a melancholic chill running over him but with it came a sense of purpose as well. "Well, Commander if that's how you truly feel…"

He leveled her with a determined expression of his own this time catching her off guard as he adopted perhaps the closest thing to a serious expression she'd seen since his "birth". It made the hair on her neck stand on end but she was forced into silence by the look of respect he was currently affording her... as if he was acknowledging her beyond just her role as commander, his whole demeanor shifting just for a moment.

"Then I ask that you use me as you see fit, so long as you continue to follow your convictions I am yours to command!" He swore standing up to his full height and saluting her, accepting her as his commander, his new leader. "My power is yours and with it, we'll create the peace you desire!"

_He would make her dream a reality or die trying, that was his promise!_

* * *

**AN. Chapter Completed!**

**Hope you all like this, I wanted to give myself a kind of counter to Blurring the Lines to work on where I wasn't limited as much by the initial premise. Don't get me wrong, I love BTL but since many of the design choices were out of my hands it makes the storytelling options a bit limiting, especially as I work to branch into the actual story events of the game. I also want to assure people that the creation of this story doesn't mean BTL is going to stop or anything but it may indicate a shift to a less serious type of fic, we'll see.**

**As you can see it's not as fleshed out an intro as BTL but that is part of the trial nature, I'm testing the waters to see how far I really want to take this so I apologize if you feel its not as strong an intro but that is the reasoning.**

**In the meantime, I do want to go over some stuff here though! Specifically, why certain choices were made that are different from BTL.**

**Naruto's size/age/class/rarity:**

**These three things were changed because I wanted them to be a bit less confining than in BTL, little shota Naruto is fun in that story but it puts a cap on what I can and can't do and boils many interactions down to just being cute. An older Naruto opens a lot more options for both combat, relationships, dialogue, etc so I decided I would set him to his age and general appearance from Naruto the Last.**

**The reason I switched him from BB (Battleship) to a Large Cruiser was that I always thought it was more fitting for him to be a vanguard ship than a backline given how he fights. Now I know the anime has made backline and frontline a bit interchangeable in terms of effectiveness but I think he's far better suited for this. I didn't make him a destroyer, sub, or carrier because none of them really fit other than maybe destroyer and only if I went with pre-Shippuden Naruto. Aviation could have fit but again I think up close and personal fits him better.**

**He is of the Decisive rarity so do expect him to be quite powerful but I will keep him in check where I can, I do want to toy with a more powerful character but if I see it getting a bit repetitive I might up the world challenge.**

**The world/villains:**

**This is a big change since some people who have read my other fic might have gotten the idea that the Sakura Empire and the Iron Blood are actually on the "Good Guys" team but that is not strictly true. In-game they are enemies opposed to Azur Lane and so for those people who have fallen in love with Akagi and Kaga in BTL, I will warn you in advance that they are not going to be the same here. That is not to say anything about the future but expect them to serve as the antagonists they are. **

**Same for the Iron Bloods.**

**I also won't be introducing Naruto to the rest of the factions as I did in BTL, I want to go for something a bit more natural, which is why I have introduced the PR system early on and unlike shota Naruto this one isn't borderline a replica of their enemies so there is less tension there.**

**Anyway, that's all for now, let me know your thoughts and I'll see you again later!**


	2. Chapter 2

_"When a person has something important they want to protect.. that's when they can become truly strong." He mused, the words falling out of his mouth before his mind could process them, a melancholic chill running over him but with it came a sense of purpose as well. "Well, Commander if that's how you truly feel…"_

_"Then I ask that you use me as you see fit, so long as you continue to follow your convictions I am yours to command!" He swore standing up to his full height and saluting her, accepting her as his commander, his new leader. "My power is yours and with it, we'll create the peace you desire!"_

_He would make her dream a reality or die trying, that was his promise!_

_**\- Present -**_

"Is that all you've got? How disappointing~"

Gleaming blue eyes practically shined with amusement as a yellow and black blur ripped thought more and more of the Siren's cannon fodder with ease, feeling no need to summon his riggings as he practically glided across the surface of the water weaving between the hulking metal forces of the opposition with surprising grace. In his hands, two razor-sharp black trench knives were clenched tightly between his fists which he used to carve deep gashes into their already warped and jagged hulls before speeding off leaving them to slowly drown in his wake as he blurred across the rippling surface towards his next target.

"Come on now, show me something fun!" He challenged and the opposing fleet as if feeling the need to respond to his taunting, let loose a salvo of hot lead in his direction the sky above them flashing as mounted turrets were bathed in the glow of their own muzzle flash. The waters around them burned and trembled at the combined assault but Naruto paid it no mind. He charged ahead undaunted, moving with unnatural swiftness into the oncoming bulletstorm with a savage smirk on his face.

"That's more like it! Give me everything you've got!" He roared and just before the rounds could turn him into swiss cheese they suddenly bounced off what appeared to be an almost translucent barrier that appeared before him, a small honeycomb-like set of hexagonal cracks materializing at the points of impact while he quite literally charged his way through their fire unharmed. Their final gambit proving for naught as he easily punched and cut his way through into the center of their formation, erasing what little defenses they had left.

_What came next was a slaughter._

…

Aiko watched the carnage from afar with an unreadable look on her face, the smell of gunpowder and burning metal assaulted her senses even from this far out as a section of the sea burned like wildfire in front of her, the bone-rattling eruption of cannon fire in the distance grew to a roaring crescendo as the light fleet gave their all to stop the monster tearing through their ranks to no avail.

_He really was a force to be reckoned with._

"He seems to be having a good time… wouldn't you agree, Master?" Belfast's soft voice tickled at her ears as the silver-haired maid fell into step with her Commander, the two of them watching in near silence as the torn and shattered remains of cruisers and destroyers sunk unceremoniously into the seas. "It appears my assistance shall not be needed."

They were standing on the deck of Bel's full form, it was uncommon for Kansen to utilize their actual ship forms given that they could maintain similar firepower in a much more compact size but should the need arise they were fully capable of doing so. On the rare occasions where she was forced onto the battlefield, she would often be escorted in this manner by one of her subordinates.

"I guess not though I shouldn't be surprised, we did pour our all into him." She mused idly tucking a stay hair back behind her ear as the wind from a particularly violent explosion whipped at her face nearly blowing her cap off as they watched a large ball cloud of smoke erupt from the warzone. "But still to see him in action… it's something else." She admitted not bothering to hide her growing respect for the newly born cruiser.

At her side Belfast hummed in agreement, steely grey eyes turning to watch the crippled remains of their enemies slowly fall apart. "It is strange to think one so playful could possess such staggering power without even using their riggings, I believe even her Majesty would be left in awe… though I do not encourage any meetings between them." She added quickly, forcing a small chuckle out of the commander who spared her a passing glance.

"Trying to keep him to yourself Bel? I never would have taken you for the possessive type." She teased lightly taking a quiet enjoyment in the minor twitch in Bel's brow at the mention of her own developing relationship with the male in question.

"Of course not." The woman denied such accusation swiftly though in her opinion she was detecting a hint of defensiveness in the normally unflappable maid's tone. "It's just that her Majesty may find one such as him to be… overwhelming so to speak." She finished trying not to elaborate any further lest she condemn herself.

"As you say." She hummed ignoring the sidelong glance the maid sent her way, it wasn't often that she got to tease Bel so she would take the opportunities presented when they arose. "Look alive, he's coming back." She noted.

True to her word, the blond had apparently grown tired of playing with his food so to speak and was now walking away from the trail of destruction en route towards the waiting pair. His lone form being easily spotted over the calming waters and It didn't take long for him to reach them, the dull thump of his boots hitting the deck reverberating in their ears shortly after confirming his arrival.

"Targets eliminated Commander, but they were way too easy!" Naruto half reported half whined as he shook off the remaining ash and soot that still clung to him after his flashy demonstration. "I didn't even get to let loose at all." He complained, making his way over once he was sufficiently cleaned up.

"I did say this would be a _light _combat drill, you set your expectations too high." She countered easily, stepping forward to inspect him for injuries though she doubted she'd find even a hair out of place. "Honestly, it's like my words go right through one ear and out the other with you." She sighed gently wiping off a bit of leftover soot that he had missed, she had a decent grasp on his personality at this point so his commentary didn't surprise her.

"Truly a brute of a man isn't he, Commander? A real beast at heart~" Bel added but there was a tone of amusement to her words that told them all she didn't truly mean anything by it. If anything Naruto seemed to revel in the comparison but never one to put off a performance he quickly adopted a faux pained expression.

"A beast? Bel-chan that hurts!" He huffed, puffing his cheeks like a child as he stepped towards the busty cruiser peering down at her through his petulant gaze given the difference in their heights. "Am I at least a _handsome _beast?" He questioned, his pout shifting into a cheesy grin as Bel giggled softly into her hand at his childishness.

Her Master had truly discovered a unique soul.

"Perhaps, but a handsome beast is still just a beast." She pointed out slyly turning her nose up at him like a royal to a commoner.

"But it is still handsome in the end~" He grinned taking the bemused cruiser by the hand and laying a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. "Perhaps you can instruct this beast on the finer points of becoming a true gentleman if a beast is not suitable to your tastes?" He muttered a husky inflection seeping into his words but the undertone of his usual mischief was clear to all as he barely managed to fight back a chuckle when Belfast pulled her hand back and looked away with an almost unnoticeable flush.

"There is no redeeming one such you!" She scoffed but the beginnings of a small smile twitched at the corners of her lips. "I must commend the Master's tolerance of your antics, she is a far stronger woman than I." She admonished half-heartedly swiping at his still outstretched hand.

Aiko rolled her eyes at the two, it was like watching an old rom-com. "Naruto if you would please stop putting the moves on my secretary for a moment we can return home." She said putting a stop to the drama playing out in front of her drawing a sheepish look from the blond and a bemused if somewhat _slightly _disappointed sigh from the silver-haired maid.

_Honestly, what was she going to do with him?_

She liked to give her newest members at least a week to acclimate themselves when possible and she had made no exceptions with him. The blond's presence had quickly made itself known as word of a _male _kansen spread like wildfire thought HQ. Of course, there were still many of his allies he had yet to meet but he had certainly made the rounds being introduced to quite a few of his future acquaintances and according to the reports she'd received he was already well-liked by most.

However, while she was pleased to see he was integrating well with the others… he did have a tendency to flirt with almost _everyone_, much to her growing exasperation. His natural charm and seemingly boundless desire to keep everyone on their toes somehow managed to draw even the more stubborn members of her fleet into his antics.

Even if some expressed their opinions of him in a more… volatile manner. The sounds of Nelson's shouting and Sheffield's gun firing in the distance were becoming more and more commonplace around the base.

The only group that appeared safe from his playful advances were the young destroyers much to her relief. With them he had taken up the role of an older brother figure, often being seen playing with them or helping them out as needed while he adjusted to the layout of their facilities. It had won him more than a few fans as the destroyers were considered to be good judges of character hinting there was more to the cruiser than he might show.

"Ah, my bad Commander I didn't mean to make you jealous~" He apologized quickly shifting his attention onto her swiftly taking her into his arms in a manner reminiscent of their first meeting and she cursed herself for falling once more into this trap. "You are the most important person to me after all~" He whispered lowly blowing a bit of warm air against her ear in a way that sent involuntary shivers down her spine.

_That did not mean he was any less of a shameless flirt._

"What did we say about touching?!" She hissed temporarily losing her composure as a commanding officer as she struggled to wriggle herself free from his grasp her usually pale face alight with embarrassment that made her look far more like a blushing schoolgirl than the fierce leader she was.

"Only in private unless it's Wednesday." He quipped mirthfully clearly unbothered by her discomfort while in the background Belfast did very little to mask her own building amusement seeing the hardy woman that was her normally stalwart Master, turned into a blushing mess so easily. Perhaps she could see about borrowing Ark Royal's camera in the future to capture some more of these "tender" moments between them.

Perhaps even making a little money on the side with some help from Akashi.

"_No touching!_" She growled finally managing prying herself out of his arms with a grunt of effort, gloved hands immediately falling to her suit to wipe off any lingering remnants of his presence. "It's like someone cloned Wales but somehow made her an even bigger pervert." She grumbled fixing her cap and leveling him with a disapproving glare which was promptly ignored.

Seeing that he wasn't going to break under her stare she rolled her eyes and decided to focus on the real reason they were out here.

"Moving on, I think it is safe to say that you can handle yourself in a fight." She affirmed going over his combat performance in her head as she began piecing together the best way to utilize her new asset. "I'll still need to find a proper fleet composition to fit you in but for now I think it's fine to have you handle some of the harder commission on your own until then." She instructed.

"As you wish, Commander." He nodded not at all fussed about the idea of working solo in the meantime. It just meant he could go all out without having to worry about anyone getting caught up in his momentum which was fine with him though he couldn't help but wonder who he'd be paired within the coming weeks.

"Good, Bel would you kindly take us back to base, no doubt the paperwork is multiplying on my desk as we speak." She sighed knowing that with the two of them out there was no one left to handle all her duties so she would be playing catch up for the next few hours. Belfast nodded already charting the course back home while Naruto made himself comfortable leaning against the railings as they began the trip back, content to just enjoy the sea breeze as they left the wreckage behind.

He of course also took the time closely "inspect" Belfast's "hull plating" while he had the chance.

…

True to her word Naruto did find himself working solo for the next few weeks as Aiko cycled through her available roster to find the perfect place to put him. So far he'd mainly worked as a one-man search and destroy crew, keeping any encroaching forces away from their trade lines or branch bases while also hunting down rumored threats that were supposedly spotted in their territories from time to time on his own.

Sadly for him, most of these rumors had proven to be either false alarms or simply too far off for him to effectively follow up on which had left him feeling slightly annoyed at the lack of real action. Of course, Aiko had been quick to point out that he shouldn't be seeking out fights without any backup but given his status and power, he very much doubted that he would really need the help against a few run of the mill baddies.

Still, orders were orders and had she demanded he stop his excursions than he would stop without further question.

But she _hadn't_. Which brought him to his current mission of hunting down the supposed rumors of a powerful Kansen harassing merchant ships in this part of the South Atlantic. The details of which were sketchy but supposedly this solitary kansen was off on her own raiding merchant ships which he supposed wasn't unheard of, but oddly enough she wasn't sinking their crews as well. Instead, beacons would be left for them to find at the scene of the crime allowing them to pick up the survivors.

"A pirate with a heart maybe?" He mused all the while keeping a steady but relatively tame pace as he scanned for any sign of hostiles. With access to the mission logs and movement data of Azur Lane, he'd managed to make a few guesses at where this unknown raider would strike next based on a combination of the list of sightings and trade dates to narrow down some hotspots. He'd already done extensive searches of two other sections of ocean with no success but he didn't let that deter him, the seas were large and without concrete evidence, he was relying on a fair bit of chance.

Better to try and fail than to never try at all though in his opinion.

_Ping!_

He paused, the radar at his hip pinging suddenly having caught something moving at the fringes of his range, something moving far too quickly to be a run off the mill merchant boat. Waiting for another moment he checked the radar again and sure enough, within a few moments…

_Ping!_

Another blip, a single hit too meaning that it was unlikely to be an ally since barring himself all sortie parties were set up in at _minimum _pairs of two. While he certainly could be registering another exception like himself he couldn't help the slight surge in adrenaline he began to feel as he locked onto the signature.

"Looks like I might have a date with a pirate!"

Easily adjusting his course he swiftly picked up the pace making his way over towards the mark, no doubt whoever it was would similarly sense his approach but he welcomed it, he wasn't one for sneak attacks anyway he'd much rather meet his foe head-on.

He just hoped she would prove to be the same but if not he'd merely hunt her down.

…

"Thank you for your cooperation. Hopefully, your allies will arrive in time to rescue you."

A dull but gentle voice spoke, nearly lifeless teal eyes focused entirely on the now sinking remains of what was once a fine trading vessel… now it was nothing more than a melting scrap, trash slipping ever deeper beneath the waves while it's former crew were busy paddling away in their meager lifeboats as she set to work planting the beacon that would draw their attention to the wreckage.

_Ping!_

Her eyes fell to her hip and a subtle frown worked its way onto her face, something was approaching her and it was approaching far more quickly than she would like. Her scarf blew gently in the wind as she tilted her head ever so slightly in the direction her equipment was warning her about.

"Trouble…"

She could flee but judging by the speed of its approach she would not maintain a large lead for long… this was a dilemma. She could run and hope that whoever was speeding towards her had no interest in actually pursuing her perhaps instead simply trying to run her off which would make sense given that she wasn't detecting any signs of incoming reinforcements.

She could also try to stay and fight.

Gleaming bloody red claws flexed instinctually at her side, the water around her rippling ever so slightly as a metal shark-like fin slashed through the lapping waves behind her. She was a tool of war… She existed to fight, to break those that would paint themselves in the colors of opposition even if she did not truly care for conflict. She frowned slightly even as the bright sheen of her armaments surrounded her like a fortress of cruelty, the jagged edges of her riggings coiling tightly around her thin frame.

She was a war machine.

_Ping!_

Dull eyes turned themselves towards the horizon, teal orbs locking onto the sole figure fading into view, the silhouette of her approaching opponent becoming clearer with each passing moment and her window to make an escape closed rapidly.

A choice had to be made and it had to be made, _now_…

"Preparing to engage."

She kicked off from her prior position with a speed that belied her heavy designation, her crimson gauntlets may have weighed her down but even so she moved with extreme focus, like an apex predator not a single stride was wasted as she cut a path towards her target.

She was Graf Spee, the so-called "Pocket Battleship" of the Iron Blood faction…

_She would not fail._

…

A tense silence began to brew as the two warships closed the distance between them each unsure of the outcome of their meeting but both understanding that a peaceful exchange was unlikely.

"You're an Iron Blood… I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised." He hummed to himself at the petit but still formidable form of his enemy cruised into position across from him her weapons already aimed to send him to the depths of the ocean at a moment's notice. "You wouldn't happen to be the mysterious assailant sinking all these poor merchant ships now would you?" He asked donning a disarming smile as he did so. Nothing wrong with being polite after all.

"Who are you?" She asked, ignoring his question in favor of her own, her glare softened by slivers of confusion that were all too obvious against the canvas of her blank expression. "You are one of us but…"

"Different?" He surmised. "It's the whole not being a girl thing, isn't it? Akashi is still working that one out but I'll get back to you when we have an answer." He chirped seemingly undaunted by the variety of guns currently locked onto his position drawing a frown from Spee.

"You are a member of Azur Lane." She stated stoically, their alliance with the Sakura Empire kept them up to date on all deserters from their faction and the name Akashi was featured prominently upon that list. "I do not relish combat if you leave now I will not attack you." She offered. An olive branch, a chance for peace or at the very least a chance for everyone to walk away unharmed. It was an action out of character for such a militaristic faction to seek nonviolence as a first solution, he would admit he was taken a bit off guard by it even if only for a moment.

"I appreciate the offer and for what it is worth I appreciate your kindness." He praised offering her a gentle smile, one with a touch of resignation that she no doubt caught judging by the way her clawed gauntlets twitched at her hip. "But I can't let you continue terrorizing these people." He finished reaching down and drawing his trench knives.

"I see." She sighed but nodded. "This is the nature of war and as such I will do what is required of me." She spared him a glance that told him all he needed to know. She would fight until one of them was no longer standing.

_**BOOOOOOOM!**_

Naruto rolled to the side just in time to avoid the duel high explosive shells sent his way, the pulsing red ammunition slamming into the water with extreme force before detonating sending a geyser of scalding hot liquid into the air that rained over them.

"Well, at least she's taking me seriously." He joked lightly before quickly kicking back into motion as more shells plowed their way towards him, a chain of similarly deafening explosions erupting across the now turbulent waves as he weaved his way through her fire quickly pushing forward closing the distance.

"_He's fast…"_ Spee scowled behind her scarf and rushed forward to meet him.

_Clang!_

The two slammed into one another with enough force to create a small shockwave around them as the two struggled to push the other back before ending the deadlock and breaking into a flurry of melee attacks. Crimson gauntlets collided violently with silver steel covering both parties in showers of sparks as metal ground angrily against metal in a fury of blows.

"_She's strong..."_ He noted wincing ever so slightly as he was pushed back by a particularly savage blow and ducking under an overhead slash aimed to take his head off before lashing out with a roundhouse kick that was blocked by her oversized claws, said weapons quickly shooting forward to grab his outstretched leg. Knowing that falling into those mitts of hers was a guaranteed death sentence he swiftly pivoted his body launching himself back before she could complete her motion his superior speed allowing him to easily slide out of her strike range.

Back and forth the pair danced a deadly tango atop the now churning waters. There was an elegance to the savagery displayed by both, an almost methodical undercurrent to the exchange of fire and blows as the duo worked to bring one another to ruin.

Spee let out a pained grunt as his knife caught her skin, a shallow wound really but noticeable nonetheless. She'd eyed her opponent with suspicion and a new air of wariness, he'd still yet to draw his true arms and that gave her pause in her assault. Was he holding back intentionally? Was this an effort to demoralize her? She wasn't meant to question such things but the heat of battle made blocking out such burdening thoughts difficult.

"Why do you not draw your weapons?" She questioned catching him off guard with the suddenness of her inquiry. "Not those knives, but your real weapons."

"You mean my riggings?" He leveled her with a curious glance before sighing and rubbing the back of his head. "It's nothing personal if that's what you're worried about..." He assured with a gentle smile one unfitting for a battlefield and which made his next words all the more damning in her mind…

"But this isn't really the right time for that." He finished shrugging his shoulders in a manner that seemed almost carefree.

…

She said nothing for a moment considering just what he might mean by such a thing, she was not so emotional as to jump to conclusions... unless the said conclusion was so blatantly apparent that to ignore it was to be willfully ignorant. He did not believe she was worth the effort, that whatever power he could bring to bear would prove far too much for her.

"I see." She nodded, her voice did not waver even as her tail swayed with increased fervor, stirring the waters between them. She may not have enjoyed conflict but she was an Iron Blood and if there was _anything_ she could claim to share with her sisters.

It was their pride as warriors.

Naruto frowned as the air grew tense between them, whereas before there was a twinge of resignation between two soldiers merely fulfilling their duties, now there was a hint of something far more personal. His gaze turned to the still stirring waters and beneath the churning waters, the hairs on his neck standing at attention while he peered into the frothing waves…

His eyes widened as the water behind him erupted in a torrential downpour as four jagged metal shark-like machines ripped through the waves, vermillion jaws in the shade of dripping blood snapped open to consume everything in their path as they dogpiled onto him, forcefully dragging his now flailing body underneath the waves while dull teal eyes watched from the surface.

"_Oh for fuck's sake, really?!" _He cursed himself for not anticipating such a thing, she even looked like a damn shark for the love of God! Bubbles filled his vision as metal jaws clamped tightly onto whatever they could the twisted metal sinking easily through his clothing into the flesh below with extreme prejudice and he had to fight with every instinct he had not to scream in pain lest he open himself up to the gallons of water that would seek to occupy his lungs.

Fighting off the shock as best he could, he quickly used his free hand to drive his trench knife into the "skull" of the nearest predatory machine, easily driving the sharp metal of his weapon past its protective plating and violently dragging the blade down the length of its body. Pitch black oil seeped into the waters like freshly spilled blood as the mechanical beast shuddered at the deep gash imposed upon it but even so it kept its teeth fastened like a sprung bear trap, unwilling to allow its prey to escape, even at the cost of its life.

The others as if sensing the distress of their ally suddenly snapped into a feeding frenzy and he could feel the tightening of their jaws as they worked in tandem to try and literally rip him to pieces. He grit his teeth and unseen to anyone blue eyes flashed a deep red as they dragged him deeper beneath the waves, the light of hanging sun growing fainter as he was pulled towards the depths…

…

Spee watched the water with impassive eyes as she eyed the spot that the blond kansen had occupied before she'd set her rigging upon him the male having been dragged mercilessly underneath the waves. Her eyes narrowed as faint streams of oil began to rise to the surface staining the crystal clear waters a murky black as chunks of torn metal and cloth began to bubble up shortly after.

The cloth was clearly his but the metal shavings were easily recognizable to her…

_**BOOOOOOOM!**_

She flinched as the water in front of her bulged heavily before exploding outward, the force of the eruption actually pushing her back slightly but her attention was immediately drawn to a sight that left her both breathless and horrified.

The torn-up and ravaged carcasses of her riggings sailed through the air, their once sleek forms were now bent and ruptured as if they'd been crushed by something far larger than themselves. She couldn't stop herself from flinching as their motionless bodies crashed back into the sea, surrounding her in the carnage.

"That was a good shot you almost had me there…"

Her gaze snapped towards the voice of her still very much alive and now _very much annoyed _opponent, his jacket was torn and she could see teeth marks littering the exposed portions of his body that were no longer covered. Once jovial blue eyes were now as cold as the most frigid icebergs, an unfamiliar discomfort settled itself into her core as he rolled his neck and leveled her with a hard stare.

"I hurt your pride, didn't I?" He asked rhetorically not even bothering to wait for her response knowing that's exactly what had happened. "That wasn't my intention and for what it's worth I am sorry." He apologized. "I'll take this a bit more seriously."

She had no time to react before she found his fist burying itself into her cheek, his trench knives thankfully have slipped off at some point during his trip to the depths but she wasn't sure it made much of a difference given that she was sent rocketing across the water like a ragdoll, her limp form skipping like a well-tossed stone along the surface.

But he wasn't finished with her yet.

Her eyes rolled violently into her head as she felt successive blows slam into her over and over without pause, each felt like a high explosive round going off directly in her face and they packed a similar effect as she was bounced around like some kind of human-shaped beach ball before she was granted the mercy of crashing into the waiting waters below, her broken form descending into the still oil-stained depths.

_Her body felt like it was on fire… _

The waves parted as a bandaged hand swiftly broke through the surface and she was abruptly yanked her from her temporary reprieve and back into the open where she was just able to make out his silhouette behind half-lidded eyes. Her arms were heavy and try as she might she could not gather enough strength to even move them, such was the extent of the brief but unbelievable punishment she'd suffered.

She was at his mercy… perhaps she had been from the moment she decided to stand her ground instead of retreating.

"_Deutschland… would you be disappointed in me? I'm sorry I could not live up to your expectations..." _Even though the pain her thoughts still turned to her sister and a pang of regret rushed through her that dulled even the numbing sensation that had settled into her bones.

As darkness took her she missed the final words of her conqueror, catching sight of his moving lips but fading before the words could pierce the haze. She would be yet another casualty of a war that would serve no purpose but leaving those who would survive it in fractured pieces.

Would that be considered a kindness in the end? She wasn't sure… right now all she wanted was to sleep.

**-Medic Bay, HQ-**

"What did I _specifically_ warn you about?!" Aiko hissed as she looked upon the now returned and injured form of the newest addition to their not so little family. "The _one _thing I told you not to do while you were out there!" She scolded tapping her foot angrily against the sterile tiled floor.

Naruto grinned sheepishly as Akashi patched him up, his upper torso was covered in bandages and he was sure his legs were in a similar state. No doubt he'd be feeling more than a bit tender for the next few days but right now he couldn't afford to rest. He had yet another battle to face, one far more dangerous than anything the seas could throw at him.

Namely surviving his lovely but currently _very _pissed off Commander.

"I know, I know but you never said I _couldn't _do it!" He tried to defend before immediately shrinking back as the twitch in Aiko's eye grew more violent signaling that was _not_ the proper response. "W-What I meant was, it wouldn't do to leave an active threat in the area so I thought why not take care of the problem while I was in the area!"

"_Alone!_" She hissed chopping him atop the head causing him to roll around on the mat, comically large tears leaking from his eyes as she hovered over him with hands on her hips. "You went _alone_ after I warned you not too and then you have the nerve to stroll in here like you did nothing wrong!"

"I'm sorry!" He whined holding his now sore lump. "It won't happen again!"

"Damn right it won't!" She huffed shaking her head. "Now explain to me _why_ you thought it was not only a good idea to engage a hostile kansen alone but then **BRING HER BACK TO OUR BASE OF OPERATIONS?!" **She shouted chopping him once again earning another round of tears from the wailing blond.

Akashi watched the proceedings with a deadpan expression as the two went back and forth shouting at one another while she shifted her attention towards patching up the unconscious girl lying on the cot in front of her, their new prisoner of war apparently. The poor girl was completely out of it but truthfully was in fairly decent condition... other than a bit of internal bleeding and some light fractures, but she would make a complete recovery all the same.

When she would wake up though was hard to say.

"Well, I couldn't just kill her…" He sighed rubbing the back of his head as he tried to figure out a way to justify his unorthodox methods. "Despite how I look she was actually pretty reluctant to fight and it wasn't like she was going around killing innocents, I figured maybe…"

"Maybe we could sway her back to our side?" She finished rubbing the bridge of her nose in annoyance at not only how much paperwork this was going to give her but also the possible repercussions, there was no doubt the Iron Bloods would not take kindly to this. "You do understand what you've done. correct?"

"Nope~" He chirped pushing himself off the bed with a grin even as pain shot through his legs. "But hey, you said you wanted to bring the Crimson Axis back into the fold, right? What better way than showing them what they are missing?" He mused crossing his arms.

She felt her eye twitching again.

She was going to slap him. She was going to slap him in his big stupid whiskered face and then force him to guard the destroyers for the rest of his natural life.

"So are you just going to beat them all one by one and bring them back by force then? Is that your master plan?" She snarked obvious sarcasm dripping from her every word but she immediately regretted her sass when she saw the discomforting glint of mischief in his eyes. She had quickly come to learn that nothing good came out of that look.

"Naruto…"

"That's not such a bad plan!" He laughed springing back up and onto his feet masking a grunt of pain at his still healing wounds. "We'll just build them back up one piece at a time, kicking and screaming if we have to." He resolved completely ignoring the disbelieving stare sent his way as he made his way out of the med bay with a wild grin etched upon his face.

_There would be a lot of paperwork and shouting in her future…_

* * *

**AN. Chapter Complete**

**It has been a while. I apologize for the delay I've recently found very little time or motivation to write much of anything but I haven't forgotten or abandoned any of my stories as of the moment so no worries there. Anywho let's just get into it and talk a bit about this chapter and some stuff that has led us here.**

**Number one being Naruto's relationships with other characters:**

**Now I did mention I wanted his introductions to other characters to be a bit more natural and part of that just means that we aren't going to see him literally meet everyone and do a little introduction. I know many like that style getting so see how each person individually reacts to his presence but I will reserve that for either little flashbacks or meetings between characters of greater importance.**

**This, of course, leads to characters like Belfast having already met him and an early relationship/friendship forming between them "off-screen" so to speak. Of course, I will flesh out those interactions more but for the sake of actually moving the story along, we are going to have characters that have met in the background.**

**Two, Naruto's flirty personality:**

**While I do plan to stick to Naruto's core personality traits (determined, selfless, mischievous, etc) he's not an exact copy either. He's not a womanizer or anything as I try to make it clear that a lot of his flirty nature is mostly to tease and just for the sake of provoking a reaction out of those around him. He's not going to be a harem protagonist with boobs on the brain 24/7 though so no worries there if that is a concern of yours.**

**Number three, his meeting & fight with Spee:**

**Now originally I wasn't going to include this until later but I did want to give him a semi-challenging fight as well as introduce a character from Iron Blood without jumping into a major conflict. Obviously his presence is going to change the order and nature of events and this will be just one of many times where that'll happen, I went with him capturing Spee because her event was my first real event and she was also the first event ship I wanted that I failed to get (got her on the re-run). This will somewhat act as my replacement for the gacha system though it's not going to be a super frequent occurrence.**

**As for the fight I want to be clear that Naruto only took as much damage as he did because he wasn't really going all out and even at the end where he takes her down he still doesn't reveal much. I am intentionally keeping his rigging hidden as I have plans for that and want to be sure those are all in order but there are hints to it. **

**Anyway, I don't wanna talk too much about my plans but I did want to answer some questions I figured people might have. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me or ask them in reviews and I will try to PM you. Questions about when updates will occur all have the same answer, they will happen when they happen I don't keep to a schedule or anything.**

**Take care and I hope you enjoyed it. **


	3. Update

**Hello! It certainly has been a while since we last spoke and for that, I apologize, before I begin I want to say that sincerely do hope all of you have been staying safe with everything going on in the world.**

**So, you've all had a lot of questions about the Azur Lane set of stories and I want to answer those since I realize not saying anything has only invited more questions. Obviously neither Blurring the Lines nor A Rising Storm have been updated in a while and that has begged the question of why not? Since I am clearly active in writing another story it's not like I've been gone or anything else that would prevent me from writing chapters for them. Well, the answer to that is two-fold with one major and one minor reason.**

**The minor reason being that I just have been working on a different story that has caught my attention and so every other story has been neglected for a bit. This tends to happen whenever I write something new and it usually passes as I burn myself out from one idea then take a break to work on something else for a bit. Essentially me just indulging in my own creative process I guess.**

**The major reason, however, is one that is far more problematic in regards to coming back to these fics specifically and that is that Azur Lane's story or rather lack of coherent story has sort of killed much of my motivation to try and tell it. I still enjoy the game and its characters but the storytelling has pretty much stalled me out. Event after event of no questions getting answered and cliffhanger after cliffhanger with no resolution in sight makes trying to tell anything regarding this game's story a pain in the ass. Now, some will reasonably say "You are a writer, make something up!" and I might have agreed if I had even the slightest hint of tangible motivation for these characters. People who have played the game will understand what I mean when I say most of the time we don't even have a clue what's going on beyond "beat up the mean siren" and that's just frustrating when you then try and sit down and say "Okay time to write a story around these events except I have no clue when this event takes place, what's really going on in the background, or what timeline this is even in since nothing is done in order". **

**For A Rising Storm, this is a bit more problematic since it is more story-heavy from the outset compared to BTL. BTL I'm half debating on rewriting to just be a slice of life "here have a shota-Naruto to spoil and be cute with and ignore the threats of the outside world since lord knows that's all a mess". ARS, on the other hand, I still have a few ideas for but it's more of delaying the inevitable.**

**I know these aren't super satisfying answers and a lot of people aren't going to like I'm just expressing my thoughts on it. Does that mean these stories are abandoned or discontinued, not at all but they also aren't a high priority right now either. I'm still thinking about and working on it.**

**Anyway, I just wanted to give some kind of update on these fics because I do continue to get questions on them and I didn't want to just never answer those. I also ask that if you have questions or complaints that you don't go leaving those in the reviews of my other stories but just ask me here or through a private message, I will try to answer where I can so make sure to check your inbox if you ask something as I may have responded. **

**As always do try and stay safe in these crazy times!**


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